Colter Pro Day closed to media

NFL scouts will get to watch Kain Colter work out Wednesday at Northwestern. But media members will not.

NU’s Pro Day will be closed to reporters. The decision was collaborative, with all parties -- NU officials, Colter and scouts -- deciding that the event would be more productive without a media sideshow.

Colter, the former quarterback who hopes to make the NFL as a receiver, has been working out at NU’s athletics complex to prepare.

Several former teammates also will show off their skills to scouts Wednesday: defensive linemen Will Hampton and Tyler Scott, receiver Rashad Lawrence and linebackers Damien Proby and David Nwabuisi. Former Notre Dame quarterback Tommy Rees will throw to Colter and Lawrence.

Had Colter been available to the media, he would have been asked about veteran Wildcats such as Trevor Siemian, Kyle Prater, Venric Mark and Collin Ellis, who have come out strongly saying they will vote no on April 25 to unionizing.

And some players feel that Colter did not supply enough information before asking them to sign union cards in late January.

And how about this: Does Colter regret any of his negative characterizations of the NU program while he testified at the National Labor Relations Board hearing? Or does he feel his harsh talk about the Leadership Council and supposed de-emphasis of academics helped sway NLRB regional director Peter Sung Ohr in his favor?

One more: Even if the Wildcats vote no to a union, would Colter consider the movement a victory? NCAA reforms are coming, in no small part because of pressure applied by the College Athletes Players Association.

Colter’s Chicago-based agent, Mike McCartney, could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday.

Also, NU alumni have set up a public meeting at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Morton Civic Center in Evanston (2100 Ridge Avenue) to “discuss solution, remedies and other possible actions that would preserve the players’ free speech rights to organize and conduct a fair process without interference.”

An email announcing the meeting states: “We are Northwestern alumni, mentors and former scholarship athletes from various eras. We are proud of the leadership of Mr. Kain Colter and the historic pursuit that he and others have initiated. We also support the Northwestern University football team that has taken steps to exercise their free speech rights to determine on April 25, 2014, if a player’s union is in their best interests.

“We are concerned about distorted messages, and perceived or the possibility of real efforts, by some to interfere with the process established by players to exercise their right to organize.”